Chancellor Friedrich Merz's cabinet approved legislation on Wednesday to deploy artificial intelligence in the processing of asylum, visa and residency applications in Germany, aiming to accelerate a system strained by high caseloads.
The KI-Migrationsverwaltungsgesetz (KIMVG) establishes a data-protection framework for AI-powered analysis and evaluation tools. Under the law, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, municipal immigration offices and the Foreign Ministry may use data gathered from applications to train, validate and test AI models. The rules also allow automated comparison with publicly available internet data when officials have doubts about the accuracy of information provided by applicants.
The government has stressed that legal assessment and final decisions will remain with human caseworkers, with algorithms serving only as a support tool, not as decision-makers.